Thus saith the Lord
God : Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh
flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For
he shall be like tamaric in the desert, and he shall not see
when good shall come : but he shall dwell in dryness in the
desert, in a salt land, and not inhabited. Blessed be the
man that trusteth in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his
confidence. And he shall be as a tree that is planted by the
waters, that spreadeth out its roots towards moisture: and
it shall not fear when the heat cometh. And the leaf thereof
shall be green, and in the time of drought it shall not be
solicitous, neither shall it cease at any time to bring
forth fruit. The heart is perverse above all things, and
unsearchable : who can know it? I am the Lord who search the
heart, and prove the reins : who give to everyone according
to his way, and according to the fruit of his devices :
saith the Lord almighty.

At
that time Jesus said to the Pharisees :"There was a certain
rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and
feasted sumptuously every day. And there was a certain
beggar, named Lazarus, who lay at his gate, full of sores,
desiring to be filled with the crumbs that fell from the
rich man's table, and no one did give him : moreover the
dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass that the
beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's
bosom And the rich man also died, and he was buried in hell.
And lifting up his eyes when he was in torments, he saw
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom, and he cried and
said : Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus
that he may dip the tip of his finger in water to cool my
tongue, for I am tormented in this flame. And Abraham said
to him : Son, remember that thou didst receive good things
in thy lifetime and likewise Lazarus evil things : but now
his is comforted and thou art tormented. And besides all
this, between us and you there is fixed a great chaos : so
that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, nor from
hence come hither. And he said :Then, father, I beseech thee
that thou wouldst send him to my father's house, for I have
five brethren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also
come into this place of torments. And Abraham said to him :
They have Moses and the prophets : let them hear them. But
he said : No, Father Abraham : but if one went to them from
the dead, they will do penance. And he said to him : If they
hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they believe
if one rise again from the dead."

Moses prayed in the
sight of the Lord his God, and said : Why, O Lord, art Thou
angry with Thy people? Let the anger of Thy soul be appeased
: remember Abraham, Isac and Jacob, to whom Thou sworest
that Thou wouldst give the land flowing with milk and honey.
And the Lord was appeased from the evil, which He had
threatened to do to His people.

It it truly meet and
just, right and for our salvation, that we should at all
times, and in all places, give thanks unto Thee, O holy
Lord, Father almighty, everlasting God; Who by this bodily
fast, dost curb our vices, dost lift up our minds and bestow
on us strength and rewards; through Christ our Lord. Through
whom the Angels praise Thy Majesty, the Dominations worship
it, the Powers stand in awe. The Heavens and the heavenly
hosts together with the blessed Seraphim in triumphant
chorus unite to celebrate it. Together with these we entreat
Thee that Thou mayest bid our voices also to be admitted
while we say with lowly praise:

To Thy servants who call upon Thee hearken with unfailing
kindness, O Lord, and while they glory in Thee, their Maker
and Ruler, do Thou collect and restore all that we lost, and
once restored preserve it. Through our Lord.